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Backyard Chickens: Pros and Cons

There are so many reasons why you would or wouldn’t want a chicken in your backyard. Backyard Chickens have become a new trend but there have been many debates about it:

Pros

1. Costs are incredibly cheap.

When we say cheap, it doesn’t just count the chicken itself but also its maintenance. If you compare it to keeping a dog or a cat for a pet, it is much cheaper to take care of a number of chickens, mainly because they are not demanding when it comes to food. You can feed them table scraps and leftovers and they will happily gulp it down. As little as $2 a day, you could spend it on a bunch of layer mash.

2. You can obtain something from them.

Eggs. Meat. Who wouldn’t want it? Regarding eggs, it is very rare that you meet a chicken that can’t lay eggs. They are a good source of iron, which is good for the brain. You could either sell the eggs or keep them in your fridge. You could always raise them for eggs, as pets or for exhibition purposes.

3. Low maintenance.

Unlike dogs who need everyday grooming and cats who need your undivided attention, backyard chickens need none of those. You don’t have to take them to your vet every year or so to get shots and doses of vaccines. All you really have to do is feed them and provide clean water every day. Their coops must be cleaned at least once a week or twice every month depending on the number of chickens you get.

4. Free fertilizer and instant pest control.

These are the two things that people love about owning a chicken. When you allow your chickens to roam around your backyard, it is in their nature to peck on whatever it is that catches their interest and their hunger. Chickens love anything that comes from the ground, especially the things that are moving. They eat insects, bugs, worms and so on. For them, these are special treats. Additionally, it is in their nature to remove their waste anywhere they please. But their poop is considered a natural fertilizer that the ground needs to grow healthy plants.

Cons

1. Cannot be used as a guard pet.

While chickens can coo and make different sounds, it is not in their nature to bite or coo at anyone they see who looks suspicious. All they can do is grow, eat, and lay eggs. They are also not the ideal pets you would want to have if you need some kind of a response like the wagging of the tail or a purring sound.

2. Chickens are messy.

Naturally. Plus, their poop smells terrible and it can reach certain areas of your house. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to go through hours of cleaning, backyard chickens aren’t really the ideal pets for you.

3. One for all, and all for one.

In terms of getting sick this is a con. Because if one catches the flu, everyone gets it as well. And if one dies because of that flu, it is expected that every chicken, living with the infected chicken (who got the flu) might also die after a few days.